EBONYI JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE
EJLLS Publication
EJLLS
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| Title: | Turn - Taking components and cues Used by Dramatis Personae in the Trial of Brother Jero and Jero;s Metamorphosis |
| Author(s): | Samaila Yakubu |
| Abstract: | Conversation analysis is an approach to language study which deals with verbal and non-verbal aspects of language in a situation of everyday life. Dialogues in Wole Soyinka’s The Trials of Brother Jero and Jero’s Metamorphosis are classified as naturally occurring conversations because they involve two or more interlocutors (dramatis personae) who take turns to deliberate on issues that are related to religious hypocrisy on Bar Beach, Lagos. So, as important as conversation analysis is in dealing with issues related to religious hypocrisy in our society, no enough scholarly attention has been given to it. Therefore, this study seeks to examine how dramatis personae in the text employed turn-taking components, turn-constructional component and cues to construct turns, take turns, and signal end of turns. The study adopts Sack et al, (1974) conversation model as its theoretical framework and employs qualitative method of data analysis to analyse its data. Data for the study are dialogues of dramatis personae extracted from the text. They are analysed and the result indicates that elements of turn constructional component (unit) such as words, phrases, clauses and sentences are used extensively in the text. Turns allocation in the text are in the forms of current speaker select next speaker, next speaker self select and current speaker continues. Turn-taking cues (signals) such as complete sentences, and tag questions to indicate end of turns are prevalent in the text. Utterances made on rising and falling tunes to signal end of turns are also found in the text. The study concludes that conversation analysis is a very important tool for investigating naturally occurring conversations. |
| Keywords: | Turn-Taking comp, turn taking cues, convo anal., turn constructional comp, Wole Soyinka. |
